Big Five (Wildfire)

SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, Calif. June 18, 2015 – The National Park Service is now staffing a five-plus acre fire in the Kern Canyon region of Sequoia National Park. Located in the Big Five Basin near the Chagoopa Plateau, the fire is about seven trail miles southeast of the Little Five Lakes Ranger Station and between 15 – 20 trail miles east of Mineral King Valley, depending on which trail is taken. It is bordered on the east by the Sierra Crest and to the west by the Western Divide.It is suspected that the fire started on Thursday or Friday last week due to lightning from the thunderstorms that came through the area. With increased temperatures and lower relative humidity, the fire became active had just enough to get going and was reported by the wilderness ranger at Little Five Lakes Ranger Station at noon yesterday. Currently fire staff is assessing the area for firefighter operations and addressing any potential hazards. The area is in very rugged and talus filled terrain with…